Manifolding attachment for typewriters



PUU' DLLQJ i -I\ OR 2:1110805 Much 2,1938. M. s. ROOSEVELT ET AL 2,111,805

MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Jan. 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WydxWMATTORNEYS,

txaminel 19/ lYFtWKl 1 WE M" UHIFHZS March 22, 1938. M. s. ROOSEVELT ET AL MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR T YPEWRIT ERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1937 n a Wm! ATTQRNEY:

1W Hrtvvmunu mn-urunm March 22, 1938. ROOSEVELT ET AL 2,111,805

MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Jan. 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 AGHHHC Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Marcus S. Roosevelt, Highland Park, Mich., and George L. Bezold, Hamilton, Ohio, assignors to The Hamilton Autographic Register Company, Hamilton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 25, 1937, Serial No. 122,140

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a fixture for convenient attachment, particularly to a commercial typewriter having a cylindrical, rotatable impression platen, for rotatively carrying a plurality of reeled transfer or carbon coated strips to be interleaved between continuous webs or strips of stationery designated as work strips, for making manifold or duplicate copies.

It is quite expedient to use continuous or strip form of stationery in commercial typewriters having a cylindrical, rotatable impression platen. These strips usually contain printed forms arranged in a consecutive order longitudinally of the strip and the forms are adapted to be consecutively torn off from the strip after the writing space thereof has been filled in or typed.

For making duplicate copies, the carbon coated sheets are interleaved between a selected number of continuous form of stationery or work strips. In the use of loose carbon coated sheets, difliculties are encountered in removing the sheets from a section or form length of the work strips that have been typed, and transferring the same to a new position for writing upon a succeeding portion of the work strips. Therefore, it has been contemplated to employ a carbon sheet holding or maniiolding fixture, fixed upon the carriage of a typewriter, whereby the carbon sheet or sheets, the number being governed by the number of manifolding transcriptions to be made at one time, are permitted to advance with the work strips in their interleaved relation, and after a definite length of advance are retracted or retrieved independently of and between the work strips to reposition the same with a successive writing space of the work strips.

It is very essential that the carbon sheet holding fixture be light in weight so as not to be burdensome to the carriage of the typewriter and impede its translation, of a structure that is compact and will not destabilize the typewriter carriage, and be easily and conveniently operated. For compactness the carbon coated sheets or transfer strips are reel wound, each upon its own spindle, the spindle being in transmission connection with a crank handle or wheel for re-reeling, to retract and reposition the same relative to a successive section of the work strips.

For retracting the carbon sheets in the prevailing types of fixtures it is customary to merely release the feed rollers from their impingement against the impression platen of the typewriter, freeing the work strips and interleaved carbon coated sheets of their frictional contact with the impression platen, and manually holding the advanced or extracted end of the work strips with one hand while operating the fixture with the other hand to retract the carbon sheets. It, however, has been experienced under such mode of operation that the form registration and alignment of the several work strips are readily dis- I placed, necessitating readjustment thereof after each repositioning operation of the carbon coated sheets, materially slowing down operation.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide the fixture with means for marginally gripping the work strips at opposite edges and in proximity to the typewriter impression platen, holding the strips against disturbance while repositioning the carbon sheets interleaved therebetween and tearing off an extracted or issued section from the work strips.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fixture for mounting upon the carriage of a commercial typewriter, with one or a plurality of reels, each carrying a strip of carbon coated paper adapted, as unreeled, to be interleaved between continuous stationery or work strips, and which will advance or travel therewith under the feeding influence of the typewriter platen, the reels under control and in transmission connection with a common actuator for simultaneously re-reellng the carbon coated strips and for repositioning the same with succeeding portions or sections of the work strips to continue the typing thereof.

Other objects and further advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth in a description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a general side elevation, illustrating a commercial typewriter equipped with the fixture of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device, disassociated from the typewriter.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3, Figure 2, illustrating the fixture attached to and in relation with the carriage and platen of the typewriter.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the device.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6, Figure 2, illustrating the structure supporting and aligning the carbon rolls, and the spindle mounting and driving arrangement.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, illustrating the work strip clamping device.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8, Figure 7, de-

tailing the coupling of the sectional rock shaft of the work strip clamping device.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail view showing the clamping device in clamping engagement with the work strips.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates a com-- mercial typewriter with a crosswise traveling carriage 2, carrying a rotative cylindrical impression platen 3, over which the continuous stationery or work strips 4 are engaged in the usual manner for typing thereon. Carbon coated webs are interleaved respectively between the several work strips in the customary manner for making manifold copies of the typing impression.

Each of the carbon coated webs, for the number employed, is respectively coiled or wound upon a spindle 5 journalled within the frame of the reel or fixture 6. A leading stretch or section of the carbon coated web, in its interleaved position between a pair of work strips, advances therewith under the feeding rotation of the typewriter platen.

The reel or fixture is detachably mounted upon the typewriter carriage and comprises a pair of side frames '|8 rigidly connected by a plurality of cross rods, in the present instance three in number, 9, l0, and II. Each of the side frames, at its outer side is provided with an adjustable stirrup l 2 for a slip-on connection with a bracket l3 fixed to and extending upwardly from the typewriter carriage, whereby the fixture can be applied or detached from the typewriter without disturbing the bracket, which may be permanently applied to the typewriter carriage.

The fixture is located at a slight elevation above and slightly behind the typewriter platen for directing and guiding the work strips and interleaved carbon coated webs in a vertically, rearwardly inclined direction from the carbon coated web rolls. As the typing on the work strips proceeds the carbon coated webs are drawn off of the spindles in unison to an amount necessary for a definite length of form, after which a determined amount is re-reeled for repositioning the webs for a successive writing space or form length of the work strips.

This method provides for a large reserve supply of carbon coated webs in addition to the leading portion or stretch thereof in active use, so that fresh stretches or sections can be brought into use sequentially from time to time as the leading end is subjected to a determined amount of wear and is torn off and discarded.

The carbon coated web is preferably coiled or wound upon a tubular core IS, the core being engaged over the spindle 5 locked thereto to connect the same rotatively and against axial displacement. A spring-pressed detent l6, carried by the spindle 5, is provided for locking the core to the spindle, the detent engaged through an aperture H in the wall of the core. After the roll supply of carbon coated web is exhausted, the outer end of the detent is exposed so that it can be readily depressed and the core slipped from the spindle and substituted by a new roll.

The spindle 5, at its opposite ends, projects beyond the ends of the core, one end thereof extending through an aperture in an angle arm l8 of a guide plate l9, slidably mounted upon the side frame I of the fixture. The end of the spindle extends and is journalled in a bearing aperture 20 in said side frame. The guide plate I9 is slidable laterally over the front edge of the side frame 5 and is movablymounted thereon by a pair of screws 2|, 2|, screw-threaded into the frame, each respectively traversing an elongated slot 22 in the guide plate. The guide plate in the present instance is illustrated as provided with three angle arms l8 for serving three carbon paper rolls. The number can be increased if a greater number of manifold copies is required.

The angle extension of the arm l8, through which the spindle projects, bears against the adjoining edge of the carbon coated paper roll to maintain the roll and spindle against lateral displacement and to keep the edges of the web at a definite marginal spacing inwardly from the corresponding edges of the work strips which are of greater Width, thus leaving a marginal portion of the work strips free from the carbon coated webs to adapt the same to be marginally gripped without gripping the carbon coated webs for holding the work strips while retracting the leading ends of the Webs in repositioning the same.

The inner edge 2| of the guide plate I9 is in guiding contact with the work strips, serving to maintain the relative alignment of the several work strips during the feeding advance through the typewriter. The guide plate is locked against outward shift by a latch 22 pivotally mounted upon the outer side of the side frame 1. Upon releasing the guide frame and shifting it outwardly the spindles can be shifted axially for removing the same from the fixture.

The opposite ends of the spindles respectively traverse a slot in an angle arm of a guide plate 23, of a construction similar to guide plate IE! but rigidly fixed upon the front edge of the side frame 8. Each spindle has a pinion 24 fixed upon one end, in mesh with either a master gear 25 or an intermediate gear 26, as illustrated in Figure 4, in order to relatively locate the spindles in a row.

With the device equipped with three spindles, two thereof have their pinions in mesh with the master gear, while the third spindle of the series has its pinion in gear train connection with the master gear through an intermediate gear 26 and the pinion of one of the spindles, which is in mesh with the master gear.

Various methods may be employed for removably supporting and journalling the rollcarrying spindles and for guiding and confining the work strips and carbon webs. The embodiment herein illustrated with the guide plates l9 and 23 as separable from the side frames exemplifies adjustable means to accommodate for a change or variation in the strip widths. The side frames, however, may be of a structure for removably journalling the spindles and for guiding and confining both sets of strips when standard width dimensions are employed.

The master gear wheel 25 is fixed upon a stud shaft 21, journalled in and projecting through the side frame 8, and at its outer end has a hand wheel 28 fixed thereon for manually rotating the master gear and spindles. All of the spindles are simultaneously rotated at the same rate for retracting the leading sections or stretches of the several carbon strips to withdraw the same from a form upon which the typing has been completed.

In retracting or withdrawing the leading stretches of the carbon webs the work strips are marginally clamped to hold the same against displacement or retreat with the carbon webs by a pair of claws or jaws 2929, respectively fixed upon the relative opposite ends of a sec- 197 TYPEWRI l llili l'v'ili'onmeo tional cross rock shaft 30, journalled in the side frames. The jaws cooperate with the stationary cross bar II to clamp the longitudinal margins of the work strips therebetween.

The work strip engaging face of the cross bar ll preferably is longitudinally grooved or channeled as at 3|, into which the jaws 29 engage to increase the biting grip upon the margins of the work strips. The rock shaft 30 is of sectional form, the inner ends of the sections being joined by a pin 32, engaging axially into the adjoining ends of the sections to provide means for independently partially rotating the sections, allowing a slight freedom of movement of the jaws independently of each other and compensating for relative jaw movement, so that each jaw will impose its own gripping pressure against the cross bar and margins of the work strips therebetween.

The adjoining ends of the sections of the rock shaft are toothed for a coupling connection, for simultaneously actuating the jaws to release their grip upon the work strips, the toothed coupling providing suflicient play for a slight relative rotation of the sections, allowing the jaws to independently grip the margins of the work strips and be independently yieldihgly urged against the cross rod ll. Each section of the rock shaft, at its outer end, is provided with an operating lever or arm 33 for manually actuating the sections as a. unit in a direction for ungripping the strip.

A spring 34, at one end, is fixed to an operating arm or lever 33 and at its opposite end to the lower end of a side frame, the spring applying tension to the arm upon either side of a central line for holding the jaws in either active or inactive position. It is obvious that the jaw and its operating lever could be of integral form and fixed to an end of a rock shaft section.

The work strips, for the number employed in a collocated order, are preferably flat packaged by zig-zag folding, as shown in Figure 1. The package is generally located upon a support in rear of the typewriter and at a lower elevation therefrom to drape the strips or Webs, as unfolding from the package, vertically over the rear cross bar H] of the carbon Web supporting fixture. The vertical stretch of the strips or webs produced by draping furnishes sufiicient weight for tensioning the leading stretch of the web within the fixture.

From the cross bar l0 the webs extend laterally, departing from one another with the web a of the series as the lowermost ply assumes the first position about the typewriter platen to receive the ribbon ink impression delivered thereon by the type bars of the typewriter. The second web or ply b extends forwardly over the first carbon roll 35 of the series and thence downwardly with a leading stretch of the carbon web unreeled from the roll over the cross shaft 30, to and over the writing platen with the first ply a. The carbon web is reeled with its carbon coated face outwardly so that the carbon coated surface comes in immediate contact with the underside of the second or record ply and moves in unison therewith, as advanced by the feeding rotation of the typewriter platen.

A third web, or any number of additional record webs or plies that it may be desired to employ, correspondingly extends from the cross bar II! to and over a respective carbon roll, and with a leading web stretch thereof to the typewriter platen. From the carbon rolls each of the leading stretches of the companion record and 'also corrects any disalignment, as well as ap- Lxamine carbon webs extends in a tangential line with the periphery of the cylindrical typewriter platen, thereby devoid of any bearing traverse over any surface which would cause the carbon coating of any of the carbon webs to smudge the surface of 5 an adjoining record web. All of the webs advance under uniform conditions so that there is no occasion to more severely strain one ply over another, which is apt to result in slippage, disturbing the registration of the form space of the 10 several webs.

All of the record plies are introduced into the fixture in the same manner from the cross bar IQ of the fixture to a respective carbon roll, the rolls being arranged in asuperposed order and 15 with a web stretch thereof to the writing platen, affording ease and convenience in loading. As the typing proceeds, the carbon webs are correspondingly unreeled from. their respective rolls, coordinated through their spindle gear-train connection with the hand wheel 28.

Upon completion of the typing of a form or a determined length of web section and delivery from the platen for tearing from the web, the margins of the work webs are clamped to the clamp rod ll of the fixture by the jaws or grip fingers 29, and the tension feed rolls 36-3l of the typewriter cooperating with the platen, are released, their release being effective by means usually provided therefor as a part of the typewriter. This frees the plies from the platen, whereupon upon rotating the hand wheel 28 in an appropriate direction, a determined length of unreeled carbon web stretch is retracted and rereeled, and a leading portion thereof repositioned for use with a succeeding section of the webs.

The degree of delivery of the typed leading sections of the record webs from the typewriter platen is gauged by apertures in the web, which permit the leading ends to be impaled upon a pair of studs 3838, laterally projecting from a cross member of a T-rack 39 adjustably mounted upon the upper cross bar 9 of the fixture.

The rack is secured to the fixture cross bar 9 by a set screw 40, traversing an elongated slot 4| in the longitudinal shank of the rack 39. The webs usually are provided with a set of apertures at determined longitudinal spacings and within a margin at the head end of the printed forms or sections into which the webs are subdivided. The form or section lengths are generally designated by paper-weakening transverse tear lines, at which the sections are severed from the web.

By impaling the leading end of the web upon the studs 38-38 the form matter of the sections is brought into registration should there have been any disturbance thereof while being fed forwardly or delivered by the writing platen, and

propriately positioning a successive set of sections with the platen for proceeding to type thereon.

Before removing the delivered sections from the web the typewriter platen tension rollers 36-31 are normalized to assist the clamp fingers on the fixture to withhold web movement while tearing the delivered sections from the web, whereupon the clamping fingers are released from their marginal grip with the web to free the same for advancement as the typing proceeds.

It is obvious that the mode of operation may be varied from that herein given. For instance, the typing may continue from one section to an- 75 other without severing the sections as each is completed, the mode given being primarily intended to exemplify a function of the various parts of the apparatus.

When an active stretch of the carbon at the leading end of the carbon webs is worn, fresh stretches may be brought into play and the worn sections severed from the webs as each roll provides a large reserve supply so that they will serve for quite a period before roll renewal is necessary.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. The combination of a traveling carriage of a typewriting machine having a revoluble platen thereon and a fixture mounted on the carriage, of a plurality of roll-wound carbon coated webs journalled upon said fixture relatively in tier arrangement for interleaving between work strips a leading stretch thereof as unreeled, advancing therewith abbut the typewriter platen for typing thereon, the work webs each engaging over a respective carbon roll and with the leading stretch of the carbon roll extending in a tangential line with the periphery of the typewriter platen for uniform advance, a hand wheel in gear connection with said carbon rolls for simultaneously retracting an unreeled stretch thereof and repositioning a section between the successive sections of the work strips and means at opposite sidesof the fixture for independent edge contact with said carbon coated webs and work strips, respectively, to guide the same against relative displacement.

2. The combination of a traveling carriage of a typewriting machine having a revoluble platen thereon and a fixture mounted on the carriage, of .a plurality of roll-wound carbon coated webs journalled upon said fixture for interleaving a leading stretch thereof between work plies, therewith unitarily advanced by the platen of the typewriter, the work plies of greater width than the carbon webs, adapting the work plies to be marginally gripped without impinging the carbon webs for carbon web retraction, means at opposite sides of the fixture for independent edge contact with said carbon coated webs and work strips, respectively, to guide the same against relative displacement and means carried by said fixture for marginally gripping the work plies in proximity to the platen.

MARCUS S. ROOSEVELT. GEORGE L. BEZOLD. 

